Clock



Nov. 5, v1935.

R. MAGRO Er AL CLOCK Filed June 22, 1933 2 sheets sheet I INVENTORS RALPH MAGROAND FRA K GROS E BORGER NEY I THEIR A Nov; 5, 1935. R. MAGRQ El AL 3 CLOCK Fil ed June 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. RALPH MAGRO AND F SE RGER Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 22,1933, Serial No. 677,100

2 Claims.

The invention relates to clocks, and particularly to electric'driven clocks.

Pursuant to the invention indication of time is had by the combinational assembly of a hollow rotary member bearing hour indications, an associated hollow rotary member bearing minute -indications, indicator means suitably arranged relative to the hour and minute members to afford reading of time at any instant given by the clock, the hour and minute members being 0 translucent material.

The clock mechanism per se is preferably actuated by alternating electric current, the supply of which is equipped with a current frequency time control mechanism, as is well known to those skilled in the art.

In general, the invention in the preferred form, comprises in combination with the above stated hour and minute members and associated time indicator means, an electric motor having provision of means for predetermining its absolute rate of rotation; the rotor of such motor being i preferably mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis,

a train of coordinated gearing yielding proportional rate of movement corresponding to hour and minute values, a hollow stem serving as a support for the minute member and rotated in correspondence to minute time value, and includes a circuit for the driving electric motor, and terminals for the circuit means for connection with the house or other supply circuit.

More particularly, the preferred form of the invention, comprises an alarm device operatively H conditioned by the setting member, as by rotary movement of the setting member.

Desirably, the alarm effecting means comprises tonal elements of or embodying soft iron, arranged within the path of magnetic flux of the electric motor, the tonal elements being relatively displaceable and capable of being brought ,into mutual physical contact during the stage of nonoperative condition of the alarm, and separable during the stage of operative condition. Associated therewith are a dial and an indicator which is manually set for the desired time of alarm release.

Further features and objects of the invention view of a preferred form Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 3-4 of Figure '1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on line H of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view on line of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a detail plan view of the alarm setting dial and indicator.

Figure 9 is a diagram of the electrical circuit of the. essential parts.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of the i5 invention with respect to outer configuration, in-

dication of nature of materials employed and with respect to the assembly and component parts of the operating mechanisms. However, those skilled in the art upon understanding the princi- 20 ples of theinvention will readily perceive variations and modifications of the illustrated detail parts and assembly, and we contemplate all variations and modifications properly within the objects and purposes of our invention.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the general configuration is hexagonal; As illustrated, the base It, pedestal l I the lower hollow hour member I! and the upper hollow minute member I: are shown of hexagonal character, certain of the same being 30 modified by frusto-conical contour.

As indicated above, the hollow hour member l2, shown lowerly of and the hollow minute member l3 are of translucent material. Glass is a suitable material for the members l2, l3. The glass may 85 be rendered "frosted and/or tinted with color, singly or polychromed as desired. Wood is a suitable material i'or the base II) and pedestal ll.

' The time indicator is shown in the form of a double pointed or arrowed indicators It, IS, the 40 former indicating the hour and the latter indi-, cating the minute. The indicators I4, I 5 may be secured to or integral with a band "5 which encircles closely about but spaced from the contiguous upper edge I211 of the lower hollow memher I! and the lower edge I311 of the upper hollow member i3, thus enabling the edges I2, I 3a, to be spaced from one another for the purpose of eliminating unnecessary friction. The, indicator band it is shown stationarily supported by the respective oppositely disposed arms l1, l1, the lower ends of which are secured to the ring ll. secured to the upper end of the pedestal I i.

The upper hollow time member I3 is removably secured to the upper end of the vertical bracket rial.

l9, see Fig. 2, which bracket I9 is lowerly secured to the lamp receptor 28, the lamp receptor 28 being secured to and rotated by the hollow stem 2 I, serving also for receiving and protecting the conductors 22, 23, leading to the usual or other approved lamp socket 24. An electrical lamp 25, of the filament type, is shown positioned in the lamp socket 24.

The connection of the hollow time member IS with the bracket l9 may be had, as shown, by means of a set screw 26, the head of which is preferably ornamented, the threading of the screw 26 being receiveddn a suitable threaded opening at the top of the bracket l8. a

The lower, in this instance, the hour member I2 is shown supported and rotated by the hollow sleeve 21, which surrounds the sleeve 2|.

Preferably, the outer sleeve 21 is provided with an enlarged receptor head 28, suitable for removably receiving the lower circular edge portion of the lower hollow member l2.

As shown, the sleeve 2| is rotated in correspondence to minute time rate and the outer sleeve 21 rotated in correspondence to hour time rate, see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, as will hereinafter be more fully understood.

The removability of the respective hollow members l2, l3 facilitates the assembly of these parts, as well as of the lamp 25, and also affords access to the respective parts in the event of replacement.

Preferably, the hollow stem 2|, see Fig. 4, ex- 7 tends at its lower end proximate the upper plate of the frame 28 of the clock mechanism, the lower end of the stem 2| being secured to and rotated by the hollow elongated cup member 39, which member 38 is provided with a sleeve 30A of electrically insulating material, thus enabling the hollow stem 2| to be made of metal. The securement of the lower end of the stem 2| to the cup mem-- ber 30 is shown had by a pin 3| secured to and extending laterally from the member 30, above the frame 29, and an open-ended slot 32 receiving the pin 3|, thus forming a combined key and disconnectible connection.

Secured to the exterior of the sleeve 30A on the cup member 30 is a ring 33, of electrically conducting material and a similar but spaced there from ring 34, also of electrical conducting mate- The brush 35 is associated'with the ring 33 and the brush 36 is associated with the ring 34. The electrical lead 31 is connected to the base of the brush 35 and the electrical lead 38 is connected through the switch 39 with the brush 36.

As appears more fully hereinafter, the switch 39 is preferably of the rotary type, and is arranged to be operated by the manual actuating member 40, see Figs. 1 and 3. The leads 31, 38 are respectively connected to the terminals 4|, 42 of the lamp, which are connected, see Fig. 9, by the conductors 43, 44, usually in the form of a flexible electric cord to terminals connected to the house or other current supply.

The above stated electrical parts are indicated in the diagram in Fig. 9, the switch 39 being shown set in its closed position.

Fig. 9 also illustrates the electric connection of the electric, i. e., synchronous motor, comprising inter alia, field winding 45, the terminals of which are connected by the leads 46, 41 to the terminals 4|, 42. The armature or rotor of the motor is indicated at 48, and the two pole pieces at 49, 50. The two laminated cores are designated 5|, 52. The details of the construction of the synchronous motor are not described herein,

in that such details may be varied as desired, the essential so far as relates to our invention with respect to the driving motor is that the motor be electrically actuated or controlled. In com mercial embodiments of our invention, standard 5 alternating current motors are purchased, the preferred type embodying pole pieces provided with corrugated or equivalent pole faces, see 49a. and 59a, see Fig. 7, the effectivenumber of which may be blanked out to effectively control the 10 speed of rotation of the armature under synchronous drive of the time controlled supply current in coordination with the gearing ratios of the respective hour and minute trains.

As illustrated, the hour train of gearing comprises the main shaft 55 which is provided with a worm 56, see Fig. 3, meshing with the 'worm wheel 51 or equivalent, carried by the shaft 58, at the lower end of which is the worm 59 meshing with a worm wheel 68, or equivalent, carried by 20 the shaft 6| to which is secured the worm 62, see Fig. 4, meshing with the worm wheel 63, or equivalent.

The worm gear 63 is preferably frictionally secured to the cupped member 30 (with which 25 the minute stem 2| is coupled, as aforesaid), to enable the hour and minute members l2, l3, to be manually set or reset to correct time. Such frictional connection may be in the form of a flat spring 64 or equivalent secured to the re- 30 duced end of the cupped member 30, thus providing for minute time actuation of the stem 2| and therewith of the minute hollow member I3.

The hour train of driving gears comprises the gear wheel 65, see Fig. 4, meshing with the gear 35 wheel 66 secured at the lower end of theshaft 61; at the upper end is secured the gear 68 meshing with the gear wheel 69 secured to the outer sleeve 21, carrying as aforesaid the hour hollow member l2.

The switch 39, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, comprises a rotary member 18 of insulating material, shaped or provided with ratchet formations 1|, shown six in number, the alternate three ratchet formations being enveloped by the threepronged, ratchet contoured element 12 of electrically conducting material, held in position by the retaining spring 13. The brush 14 cooperates with the three-pronged element 12, the end of the brush being connected to the lead 38. The 50 actuating parts of the switch 39 and the therewith associated position retaining means, as shown in Fig. 5, comprises the pawl member 15, biased by the spring 16, supported and socketed, see 11, at one end of the oscillating lever 18 pivotally connected to the rocker bar 19, see Fig. 3, suitably pivotally mounted in the clock frame 29; the rocker bar 19 is rocked by vertical reciprocation of the finger piece 48 within the slot 88 in the base ID. The spring 401), see Fig. 7, is 60 provided .to return the finger piece 48 to its uppermost position, as indicated in Fig. 3.

To afford starting of the clock mechanism, we provide the starting rocking lever 8|, see Fig. 3, having a finger piece 82; a fiat spring 8|a is connected to the lever 8|, the end of the flat spring Bla functioning with the ratchet wheel 83 to rotate the shaft 55 in proper drive direction. The spring 8|a is tensioned by the spring 8| b, see Fig. 6, for slight frictional engagement with its ratchet wheel 83. The rocking lever 8| is pivotally freely mounted on the stud 84, and

is returned to its initial or restarting position by the retractile spring 85, one end of which is suitably fixed and its free-end 95a spaced from one another, see Fig. 7, in which normal position under current excitation of the motor, includingthe cores and pole pieces, the free ends of the alarm members are vibrated. To eifect silencing of the alarm members, we provide the multi-bent lever 92, its end 92a coacting with a cam 99 mounted on the stem 49a of the finger piece 49. Upon rotating the finger piece 99 to rotate the high point of the cam 99 into engagement with the lever 92, the end 9hr 01' the alarm member 9| is brought into engagement with the free end 99a of the alarm member 99, thus silencing the alarm. Upon rotation of the finger piece 99 to free the cam from the lever 92, the resiliency of the alarm member 9| relative, to the alarm member 99 conditions the members 99, 9| to alarm position.

As noted in Fig. 1, see 49c, indications may be applied as on a face of the base l9, to indicate on" and oif" positions of the alarm.

The time for alarm, as illustrated, is set by a manually settable index 99, see Fig. 8, and coacting time marked dial 99. The index 99 is suitably rotatably mounted on the lower plate of the frame 29, at the lower, knurled end 99, see Fig. 3, of a stud 91, carrying at an upper portion a cam control member 99, coacting with theshort 4 sleeve or cup member 99, provided with a notch 99a, the member 99 being biased downwardly by the resiliency of the alarm member 9|, which dually functions as a spring. To the member 99, is secured the wheel l9l, which meshes with the time gear l9la, the ratio of teeth and diameter being selected to effect a complete rotation of the wheel l9l each twelve hours. By setting in the direction indicated by the applied arrows, the index 94 to the desired time of alarm, given by the dial 99, the cam control member 99 is rotated relative to the sleeve member 99, thus freeing the cam' 99 from the notch 99a, and elevating the member 99, under tension of the resiliency of the alarm member 9|, thus dually silencing the alarm. Upon rotation of the wheel IN, by the clock drive, the cam control member 99 approaches and finally enters the notch 99a, and provided the finger piece 99 has been moved to "on" position, the alarm members 99, 9 I, are electromagnetically vibrated.

Shutting oil of the alarm is had by manually turning the finger piece 99 to its ofl position.

Automatic shutting off of the alarm is provided by the continued rotation of the wheel l9l, effected by clock movement, whereby the cam control member 99 gradually elevates the cup member 99, to force the alarm member 9| into engagement with the alarm member 99.

It will be observed that the setting member 99 is employed for the dual functions of controlling the lighting and non-lightingof the lamp, namely, by vertical reciprocal movement, and further for conditioning and disconditioning the alarm, is

namely, by rotary movement.

Whereas we have described our invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit :0 of the invention. I

We claim:

1. The combination of an electric motor including core elements of magnetic material, nontactile alarm elements of magnetic material re- 25 specti vely in electro-magnetic relation to said core elements, means for mounting said magnetic material alarm elements to each normally yield an alarm, means for rendering said magnetic material alarm elements non-operative, time proportioned train of gearing operatively connected to the rotor of the electric motor, hour and minute indicating means driven by said train of gearing, and manually settable means including a time indicating element for normally actuating 95 said alarm elements at pre-set times, said manually settable alarm means including an element in geared relation with the train of gearing for bringing the alarm elements into engagement with each'other, thereby eflecting the non-operation of the alarm elements during the period in advance of the pre-set time of alarm.

'2. The combination of anelectric motor including core elements of a magnetic material. non-tactile alarm elements of magnetic material respectively in electro-magnetic relation to said core elements, time proportioned train of gearing operatively connected to the rotor of the elec tric motor, hour and minute indicating means driven by said train of gearing, means in geared relation with the train of gearing'normally effecting mutual engagement and'consequent nonoperation of the non-tactile alarm elements, and manually settable means including a time indicating element for rendering said alarm non- 55 operation effecting means non-operative at the pre-set time of alarm;

RALPH MAGRO. .[1..s.]

FRANKGROSSE BORGER. IL. 5.] 

